2013-11-14 - Cutscene: Mission: Intergang - I AM IRON MAN!
As Stark goes to head out the door of his penthouse, he pauses and tilts his ear to Natasha. The whisper she gives him, makes him laugh. As a result, it is not Tony Stark and Natasha Romanova former couple that walk down to the lobby of Stark Enterprises which Stark still officially owns, no, it's Iron Man in his black and gold armor and Natasha Romanova a.k.a. Black Widow. The cameras flash, the press jumble about, as they ask where Tony Stark is and what this 'announcement' actually is! The Black Widow smiles at the press, stepping up to the podium, Iron Man standing on the platform beside her. She taps the mic once, half in a sound check, half to signal quiet from the press corps gathered around. "Hello. I am Natasha Romanova-- close, personal friend of Iron Man and a fellow Avenger. We have gathered you together today for an important announcement." She smiles again, and more flashes from camera go off, a low buzz of questions and conversation begins to rise from the gathered press. "In recent years, many rumors and questions about the true nature and identity of the man within the suit have spread. Many ideas of who... who /is/ Iron Man?" The buzz gets louder. "Today, we show you." And she steps back, her hand brushing the arm of the armored suit-- she stands beside, waiting. The press, for once, goes silent. Every eye, every lens trains on the suit. Stark is really trying not to sweat in the suit! But on the outside, he steps up confidentially to the podium after giving Natasha a nod of acknowledgement, respectfully. He pauses there, the blowing red eyes intense upon the crowd of press as they glance to and fro. Rather than reveal the power of his liquid metal, Iron Man actually lifts up a hand and snaps up the face plate of the Iron Man armor to reveal none other than Tony Stark's face. He leans forward as a stillness goes over the crowd and he speaks clearly into the mic, "I /AM/ Iron Man." There is a hush. And then, as if the floodgates were open, dozens of questions, and the crack of so many flash bulbs chaos reigns in the press room. Natasha saves Tony from the crowd, by stepping up and saying "An official press release will be available this afternoon, and Mr. Stark will take questions one at a time." She skims the crowd. "You," she says, pointing at a reporter at random. "Mr. Stark, are you /really/ the Iron Man? We've seen you and Iron Man at the same time on numerous occasions." A clearing of his throat, "Well, duh, I'm a genius," and Stark tilts his head slightly in the Iron Man suit, hands on his hips. But he then shrugs his shoulders, "Remote control, robotics, I've even used my phone to text what Iron Man says before. There are even doubles, not like I've been the only one ever in the Iron Man suit just the one that worn it the longest." Stark's eyes flicker over toward Natasha, forcing a smile or rather almost grin to remain on his face. When one spends so many years lying, coming clean is a horrible feeling. The crowd seems amused with Tony's answer, of course. Natasha grins back at him, and then selects another reporter. "Isn't it /hot/ in that suit?" he asks. The crowd chuckles at the question. "Full environmental control. I can go to space in this sucker! Well, actually, I have another suit that operates better in space, but this suit can get the job done with a few add-ons," Stark admits. "When I originally built the Iron Man suit, it was a weapon, I confess. It was a weapon to get out of a bad situation I was in, kidnapped, tortured, dying. Not really public knowledge, so ya, all new news, but anyway. I changed the suit after that, concentrated on protective measures, taking down criminals safely, to even lifesaving medical scans integrated into the suit. The Iron Man suit is so far from a simple weapon now, it's not funny. It's a complete defense shield for the people, and a protective shell for the wearer. And it is one I will continue to pledge to the people to serve and protect them as a superhero." Stark clears his throat. "I know, I haven't always been the wisest guy, or even one with common sense. But beyond all the shenanigans, I have found a love for the people deeper than my own self-preservation, and it has motivated me to push beyond impossible things in an effort to pick myself up from my lowest times so that I can continue to serve. I'm sorry for lying all these years," Stark says almost quietly into the mic. "I did it to protect those I cared for, but in the end...secrets have a habit of leaking and hurting those you want to protect the most. So I'm done with the lies. Everyone has their secrets, but this...I have served the people in the Avengers for years, and I will continue to do so till my dying breath. I just ask for your forgiveness in misleading you all these years, and to please believe me, that my heart has always been with all of you." Stark finishes off, "Thank you all for coming, but that will be all," and he reaches up to close his face plate and moves to touch a gauntleted hand to Natasha's shoulder. Natasha grins, and slips a small, toned arm into Iron Man's bulky armored one, and they step down from the platform, making their way to the door among the crowd and the constant snapping of pictures. Once they are outside, Natasha laughs lightly, and leans towards him, murmuring something. She grips his arm tight with both arms. Iron Man then wraps an arm about Natasha's waist, and the with jet boots activated, flies up toward the sky with a lovely woman in his arms. A sight...that has been too uncommon this last year for Tony Stark...